Mercosur foreign ministers warned UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the serious implications which the United States global espionage system represents for the international community, during a Monday midday meeting at the UN headquarters in New York.

The five ministers during a press conference following the meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

“We have expressed our concern and warning over the serious implications that these illegal procedures displayed by the government of the US have on the political stability of countries and the necessary mutual trust of the international community members”, said Venezuelan minister Elias Jaua at a press conference following the meeting with Ban Ki-moon.

Jaua was the spokesperson of the Mercosur group of foreign ministers, Antonio Patriota, from Brazil; Hector Timerman from Argentina and Luis Almagro, Uruguay, as well as associate member Bolivia’s David Choquehuanca, because Venezuela since last July holds the rotating chair of the South American trade block.

The ministers thus complied with the formal request from the last presidential summit of Mercosur in Montevideo in mid July, when there was an official release condemning US world espionage, which was revealed by the former intelligence officer and whistle-blower Edward Snowden currently with one year political asylum in Moscow.

“This practice is absolutely in violation of international rights for the safeguard of countries sovereignty and independence, and even more, is in violation of fundamental human rights of the citizens of our countries”, underlined Jaua.

When asked about the reply of Ban Ki-moon to the Mercosur statement, Brazilian minister Patriota said that the top US official “shared the concern” of the block. “UN Secretary General reacted in a way that showed awareness towards the message we transmitted from our presidents”, added Patriota.

During the meeting the ministers also expressed Mercosur ‘deep concern’ because of ‘the abuse and affront’ to Bolivian leader Evo Morales presidential immunity “when he was impeded air space free passage over several European countries under suspicion that his aircraft could be transporting Mr. Snowden”, when he was still stranded in the Moscow airport and hoping to be granted political asylum by some country.

The decision adopted by Spain, France, Italy and Portugal last 2 July “seriously endangered not only the dignity of president Evo Morales, but also his own physical safety since he had to over-fly with limited fuel and was forced to land in Vienna”, explained Jaua.

Snowden who is wanted by Washington for having leaked the existence of a US secret program that operates domestically and internationally to spy on phone and internet communications, was finally granted temporary asylum (one year) in Russia given the difficulties to fly to Latinamerica where several countries had offered to help him.

Precisely asylum was another issue addressed with Ban Ki-moon following on the strong pressure exercised by the US on several Latam countries (Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela) which offered an alternative to Snowden.

“For us Latinamericans the right to asylum is a right all citizens can exercise as well as the right of States to be respected when they extend such a benefit, and it is a principle we are not willing to negotiate” said the Mercosur spokesperson emphatically, who then recalled that ‘this very principle helped to save many lives during the hard years of the military dictatorships suffered by many countries of the region”.

Finally the foreign ministers reiterated their standing concern on two recurring issues: the US blockade on Cuba and Argentina’s claim over Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty.

There is a demand that these two issues “definitively find a solution since they are highly sensitive and of great concern for the Latam region”.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was scheduled to meet Ban Ki-moon later in the day in advance of her speech to the Security Council on Tuesday, taking advantage of the fact that Argentina will be holding the presidency of the council during the month of August. The president arrived in New York on Monday morning.

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FFs good luck with that one.
‘this very principle helped to save many lives during the hard years of the military dictatorships suffered by many countries of the region”. Except those that were thrown out of aircraft of course.
There is a demand that these two issues “definitively find a solution since they are highly sensitive and of great concern for the Latam region”. Oh so it's just about Latam what about the Falklands Island people.
Another non story that will be forgotten next week. Cant wait for the idiot's speech tomorrow hope they put it on line so I can watch all of the security council yawning

Poor Ban-Ki, he must be rolling his eyes and thinking, I hate this part of my job. Get use to the world that spy on one another. Don't sulk because you cannot do it and the rest of the world does. Do they ever NOT cry and pout to the UN?

Oh....MP, Snowden is not an officer. Officers recruit assets, he was a contract analyst.

@3 what you been spying on us you cheeky monkeys, LOL. FFS how stupid are these people, how do you think we catch terrorists? Just stumble across them, how do you think the US/UK/Russia/Israel etc defend themselves against the maniacs. INTELLIGENCE that's what happens ffs they listen to every phone call and watch every blog on the internet key words alert them that's the idea, if you don't like it don't go on the internet or use your phone, after all if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about eh? Perhaps the Botoxed one is worried they can see her bank account

I was reading earlier (looking for it) that Argentina is also going to complain about shipments of vessels from Cuba. Is this something to do with the missiles Cuba was shipping to North Korea? She is concerned she might get caught with something?

They might be suffering from delusions of grandeur. But, maybe they have a little bit of some real weight.

I was staying in a Central American country with a strong communist component when the U.S. was attacked on 9/11. All the commies/gringo haters thought that it was just sweet justice. They loved it. So, these communists would still rather the U.S. didn't protect themselves and were attacked again.

They destroy their own countries, so they don't see why that wouldn't be a perfectly normal path for any other country.

They are also enjoying standing up to the big, bad, U.S. This is effective politics anywhere in the world.

So, watch for CFK to mimic this same mentality. She'll really be high on herself due to the position Argentina holds and also she'll be doing some especial grandstanding for the upcoming election in her own country. It ought to be quite a speech. Even better than the 10 years of Victory speech.

It is not to be missed. What time in NY is this speech going to happen?

Finally the foreign ministers reiterated their standing concern on two recurring issues: the US blockade on Cuba and Argentina’s claim over Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty.

At which point Ban Ki Moon rolled his eyes, I am sick of your whinging about the fucking Falklands he cried. you are all implanted you morons, you are all colonialists, when are you going to give back the land you stole with your genocide, Leave the Falkland Islanders alone, which part of self-determination don't you understand you ignorant, colonialist wankers

As he got up to leave, Mr Ban turned to Gollum and said This bunch of dopey retards might believe your ridiculous 1833 fairy tales, but to me they are your ignorant fantasies, a bunch of murdering rapist trying to steal a territory for two months isn't sovereignty Gollum.

At this point Gollum, red faced with anger shouted It's mine, I wants it, they stole it from usssss, precioussss.

So you call al qaeda freedom fighters now that your country are allies with them? When will you join them? When you grow balls in a lab? They grow meat so there is hope for you. Do all freedom fighters toss acid in women's face for seeking education? Will that catch on in the south?

@9 What a pity that we don't actually do what you say. When we catch them, whatever category they fall into - terrorist, hate preacher, mullah, accomplice, we SHOULD brand them. With a white-hot iron. To the bone on the forehead and to a suitable depth on each cheek. Irrespective of gender or age. Let's see them sneak through border controls when they are properly marked. The best thing is that not even reconstructive surgery can cover such markings up completely.

Can anyone give advice on this so-called presidential immunity? I've been trying to find this worldwide immunity provision. I can't. As far as I can see, a president may have immunity within his/her own state. A state may have immunity from the courts of other states. There doesn't seem to be any blanket immunity that permits a president to do whatever he/she wants wherever he/she is. That would be an infringement of another state's sovereignty.

@16 Ain't never heard of it. But as long as a president can flee to a country that has no extradition treaty with the country he/she plundered, it will always exist. If you prefer to spend your retirement at home there might be sovereign immunity that may cover the government from suit but not necessarily the actor from a president to a rouge prosecutor BUT that can be waived if you really really knowingly break the law and enough people with torches and pitchforks are hunkering for a backatcha.